Royal Reprise
by onbrokenfeet
Summary: While on the hunt for long lost catacombs, Bonnibel knows she's subject to a few alterations in her fate. One of them being crossing paths with a vampire who is a bit of a relic herself. Can the two keep each other from falling prey to ancient claws? Or will they both end up just another set of artifacts in the ruins?
1. Intertwine

"Come on, Bonni, Jump!"

It was a simple command, simple as any. Just the word jump. But for some reason, it was difficult. It was terrifying. Her legs were covered in the dust of the desert sands. The tracks made squealing noises that would even keep banshees at bay. This was the last thing she needed, the last bit of her adventure. That simple command :

Jump.

-

"All packed, madam?" Peppermint Butler asked curiously, sliding himself into the bedroom doors.

"I believe so" Princess Bubblegum said, analyzing the checklist she had been editing for weeks.

"It's quite the adventure, finding this" Peppermint Butler said, eyeing up her backpack. It was stuffed to the brim. The zippers seemed as though they were going to burst with over-preparation. Though, he expected nothing less from her.

"But I'm sure you can handle it" he reassured her.

"I do hope so" Bubblegum sighed.

"Do you know where you're headed?" Peppermint asked.

"I need to make it to the Royal Reprise. Century old Catacombs under the Kingdom of Rust" Bonnibel said.

"Are you certain?"

She wanted to slap him for that. She'd been studying her parents for years. She'd made sure to mark every detail, every hint. Anything that was documented on them was evidence. She'd been told over and over of the obligation set upon her shoulders. To claim the throne of the Candy Kingdom, of course, crowns were not free.

Once a candy monarch was near passing and had accepted that soon Death would come knocking, they let out a whisper to a trusted ally. Then, their crowns were taken to a place hidden off far, far away. When the next in line was ready to rule, they would be sent off on a quest.

A quest to find the crown.

This is the story of Princess Bubblegum's quest. The quest to take her thrown and prove to herself she was more than a brain.

It is also the story of another monarch and her quest. Her quest to reclaim her prized possession. To prove to that old hag she was nothing to shake a leg at. Unless, of course, you wanted that leg broken in several places and served slathered in barbecue sauce.

"Royal Reprise" Marceline repeated aloud. "A catacomb documented to date back to the blah blah blah era of blah. It is said to hold incredible magic, treasure, and blah blah bloo blah. The Council of Witches has made it into their home and meeting place, blah blah old hags, blah blah. Ah, here we are. It is said the guardian is a mighty creature, one of long lost fable. It is kept alive by its master, Maja the Sky Witch. A witch known to be a total butt."

Well, maybe that's not what the text said exactly. In Marceline's mind, though, it did.

"So I just gotta knock the sock out of that creature and pick a few locks and Hambo is as good as mine" Marceline grinned a toothy grin. "Piece of cake" she said, slamming shut the book and tossing it into the bookcase behind her. She'd broken into this library a few times as she never had the need to own her own books. Nor did she ever have the want to read. She heard a few footsteps plop down the staircase and drifted into the shadows. Her nostrils flared at the scent of sugar and...bubblegum? Ew.

"Is someone in here?" the princess called. A candle flickering her way inside, the door inching farther open. "Guess it's just my mind playing tricks" she sighed. She should be sleeping for her journey, but she needed to read more. She needed to be sure. As she propped open a few books on the Reprise, a shadow loomed behind her. It watched her every move.

"The pretty pink princess is trying to make it all the way to the Reprise, huh?" Marceline whispered, watching the tired younger girl blink herself into a forced nap. "Good luck, sweetcheeks" she whispered, blowing out the girl's candle and making her escape out the window.

Little did she know, paths often intertwine.

As one would sleep at sunrise, the other would fall prey to dreams. The monarchs prepared for a journey unlike any other. A journey to begin with a celebration, a swampland, and an owl.

A journey to end with a king, a knight, and a victorious howl.

To be continued.


	2. Fetch

It was once known as The City of Stone.

It was marvelous. The city was said to have been hand carved down to the last detail. Statues, grand fountains, murals, cathedrals. The citizens were a blend of people from across the land of Ooo. Merchants of all trades and specialties made a living there. Until, of course, tragedy struck. During the Great Mushroom War, the city was in panic. The people either fled from their homes or locked their doors tight. They either went to fight or clung to their shaking families.

The king and queen were calm. They held each other's hands and nodded. It was time for the ultimate defense. Using an old spell, dust whirled around the city. The very bones of its architecture began to shake. The city was buried. Some say that the legend still lives down there. That while the citizens rotted away, the beauty remains.

It was re-named Royal Reprise for it's long lasting allure to all sorts of travelers that sought to claim it's riches. Including a young Prince Gumball of the Candy Kingdom.

"Uncle Gumball" Bonnibel whispered into the pages of the tome.

"Princess!" Peppermint called, making the young monarch jump. The book slammed shut and hit the floor with a loud thud. "The city is waiting for your word!"

Bonnibel inhaled deeply through her nose. Right. The entire kingdom had gathered outside awaiting to hear the news on her travels. Meanwhile, she was still cooped up in the library. She peeled herself from the seat and listened to the distant roar of the candy people.

"Have one of the maids grab my backpack from my room, please" she requested, stretching her limbs. Was she ready? A decent amount of sleep, check. An overwhelming amount of studying, check. A backpack that was ready to explode at any moment, check. Yet still, she was uncertain. She had never traveled like this before, especially not alone.

Still, she made her way up to the balcony. The distant cheers now surrounding her. Peppermint raised his arms and they settled down into a lean. A lean that anticipated each of the princess's words.

"People of the Candy Kingdom!" Bonnibel addressed them. "I have done my fair share of research and concluded that I must head North to Royal Reprise!"

The crowd began to gossip. They thought for sure no one could make it there alone. However, in some guilt-free way, they cheered for her news.

"My calculations bring me to believe that I will return in less than two months with the crown. Either that or I will die trying. It is my firm belief that shall I return, I will never let my people down. So this is my first step in keeping that promise, I will not let any of you down!"

The crowd began an absolute uproar as the maid plopped the princess's backpack down behind her. She slid it onto her shoulders and this is where the story really began.

In a place that was dark and cold. It felt like the inside of a nose when someone has the flu. Strange liquids dripped from oddly shaped trees. A tent rested in one of the few places that wasn't quicksand or a mud pit. A fire cackled as a weenie rested on a stick above the flame.

She wished she could still hear the sound of her people instead of little moments to break the silence.

"It's not so bad" she told herself. Though she was responded to by a nearby geyser shooting a smelly green gas into the air. She coughed, waving the stink away from her nose.

There was another sound too.

What was that? Her eyes shifted this way and that. Her hands let her dinner slide just a bit more into the flame.

"Hello?" she called. Another sound, a twig snapping. "Whoever you are, this isn't funny!" she shouted. She had read somewhere that if you make yourself seem big and tough, a bear may walk away defeated. This didn't shake the panic spreading into her limbs.

Just then, a snout appeared from the shadows. A nose inhaled deeply, lips pulling to reveal large teeth. The princess immediately armed herself, holding her weenie roasting stick in front of her like a sword.

"Aw, you gonna fight me off with a hot dog?" the beast's voice was teasing yet threatening under the growls in between certain words.

"Who-who-who" The princess stuttered.

"What are you, an owl?" the beast laughed, stepping into the light. It was partially a wolf but it stood on two legs. It was tall, its black fur was fluffed out in every direction. Mud was caked into its wagging tail.

"You uh. You wanna fetch the stick?" Bonnibel asked, waving the weenie back and forth. She then hurled the stick and the burnt weenie off into the woods. The werewolf turned to watch its shadow fade, then looked back at the girl. Smooth, Bonnibel.

"Really?" the werewolf asked.

"Not a fan of fetch?" Bonnibel forced a smile.

"I'm a fan of devouring pretty pink princesses" the werewolf said. Something seemed off about that, though. If this were a real predator, she would have been eaten by now. She never would have even been given notice that the wolf was there. Of course, some weren't keen to the idea of not playing with their food.

"So then eat me" Bonnibel said.

"Huh?" the werewolf's eyebrows perked up. Bonnibel stood from her tree stump seat, getting closer to the beast. She put her nose right near its snout.

"You heard me" Bonnibel said. "Eat up" she said, putting one of her arms forward and smacking her muscle.

"Alright, alright. You got me" the werewolf threw her paws up. She shifted and twisted until she was in her usual form. A girl with oddly colored skin, like that of a corpse. She had odd markings on her neck and long ink stained hair.

"Name's Marceline" the girl introduced herself. "The vampire queen."

"I'm Princess Bonnibel Bu-"

"I know who you are, kiddo. And you've gotta admit, I had you pretty scared there."

"You did not" Bonnibel lied, turning back to her temporary home.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Bonni" Marceline shrugged. Her attention immediately turned to the backpack. A grin or two later, the zipper was undone and things were being shuffled around.

"Oh, yes, please. Go right ahead, make yourself at home, I insist" Bonnibel rolled her eyes.

"Don't mind if I do" Marceline smiled. Her fingers stretched the ends of a pair of panties, playing with the waist band before sinking her teeth into the red color.

"A-are you eating my underwear?!" Bonnibel screamed.

"What? No. Gross. I'm eating the color, sweet cheeks" Marceline said, stuffing the panties back into the bag. "Ahh" she said, wiping her lips. The princess's fists balled, walking over to flick the vampire on the nose before assembling her bag.

"Ow. Did you just…did you just flick me?"

"If you want to behave like a dog, you will be trained like one" Bonnibel said calmly.

"Listen here, brat. I'm a thousand year old shape shifter that can conjure up an army of the undead faster than you can peel a banana. I wouldn't go around flicking me on the nose if I were you."

"You invaded my campsite, tried to scare me, went through my things, and then ate the color out of my underwear. You're lucky all I did was flick you. What are you doing out here anyway? Is this your home?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm so scared, shaking in my boots kid. What? No. I'm out here for the same reason you are, the Reprise" Marceline explained.

Bonnibel's eyes widened. "What business do you have down there?" the princess asked.

"None of yours" Marceline replied. "Just stay out of my way, alright?"

"If you insist on eating my underwear, it'll be you in my way" the princess retorted.

The two went on this way, squabbling. For hours and hours. Until finally the princess yawned and retreated to her tent. The vampire made herself cozy in a nook between two branches. She wrapped herself completely in a dirty old sleeping bag.

"Good night Princess Puke Face!" the vampire called. She could almost hear the princess roll her eyes. "Good night, ya butt" the princess called back.

To be continued.


End file.
